Posts Tagged ‘Apple iPad’

The iPad is coming to Verizon. It won’t have native 3G, but Verizon has figured out a way around that problem. You can buy an iPad/MiFi Mobile Hotspot bundle. The MiFi Mobile Hotspot allows you to use your Verizon 3G data to broadcast to 5 WiFi-enabled devices, including the iPad.

The iPads seem to track AT&T’s selection, sans 3G. You can get 16GB for $630, 32GB for $730, and 64GB for $830. The MiFi 2200 is included in the price, and requires a data plan. Even with the service agreement, the plans will be available month-to-month without an early termination fee. Verizon’s data plans are $20 for 1GB, $35 for 3GB, and $50 for 5GB. The overages stack in favor of the 3GB or 5GB plans though, with only $10 per additional gigabyte. The MiFi 2200 will not be included outside of Verizon, so don’t rush to the Apple store if you want the bundle. You can also purchase the iPad without the MiFi if you prefer. Verizon’s FAQ says to check verizonwireless.com/ipad for the non-bundled iPad pricing, but it currently just redirects to the announcement page.

With all the rumors of a Verizon iPhone getting stronger, this iPad option certainly seems to lend credence. Verizon figured out a clever workaround for the non-CDMA devices. The MiFi hotspot will get you on Verizon’s network, but will also require you pay for a data plan. A smart move on Verizon’s part, though not necessarily great news for its customers. Needless to say, the iPad is going to be flying off Verizon’s shelves. Christmas has come early for Verizon customers.

AT&T has announced that it will carry the iPad in AT&T stores starting October 28. The iPad WiFi and 3G devices will come with the $15 and $25 data plans, with 250MB and 2GB of data respectively. The data plans are contract-free and come with free access to AT&T’s WiFi hotspots.

The iPad is currently only available at Apple stores and online, so this will be big for sales in the retail stores, just in time for Christmas. Since AT&T already sells the iPad, this news isn’t as big for consumers. Verizon managed to make an even bigger splash today. Details on Verizon’s announcement will be provided in another post though.

Are you more likely to buy an iPad now that it will be available in-store? I suppose if you don’t live near an Apple store or aren’t comfortable with online purchases this is pretty exciting news. Most of the die-hard Apple fans already have the iPad though, so I imagine gift sales will be where AT&T benefits from this.

Since it was first announced, speculation about the possibilities of the iPad’s uses has run across a fairly broad spectrum. It immediately was compared to e-Readers like the Kindle, though they are completely different products. Others have gone as far as attempting to replace their laptop with the iPad. I know someone who intends to do just that, so I decided to take up the challenge and see if it could work.

My first thought was that the iPad couldn’t replace a laptop. Steve Jobs said so himself when he announced the product. This is an in-between device. Nevertheless, I was going to see how far I could get with it. The primary argument I was given was the Citrux application which enables access to Enterprise Microsoft applications. Armed with the basic non-3G iPad and several accessories, I started my test.

I’ve been trying to migrate my computing activities to the cloud over the last year or so, which actually made my tests a little easier. I was already used to storing data and even running image editors like Aviary in the cloud. My primary daily activities are checking e-mail and blogging, which are both possible on the iPad.

Any device with a browser can check Gmail, which is what I use for my primary e-mail activities. The iPad was able to view Gmail just fine, so it passed the first hurdle. There are a number of Google apps available on the iPad, which scored it several points. I then moved on to blogging.

I installed the WordPress app and decided to test it two ways: one with a keyboard and one with the native on-screen keyboard. I started with the device alone. A few weeks ago I made my first iPad post. I was able to type, though slowly. I got a post of substantial length done and uploaded it. I had to go back in on my laptop to add a couple of images, but overall it worked. My second test was done with a keyboard docking attachment. This test was considerably easier. I was able to type much faster. I had the same limitation with the images, so I submitted it as a draft and finished it on my laptop.

Just to round out the process I also typed a post with the WordPress for Android app from my Xperia X10. It was much harder to type on a 4″ screen than it was on the iPad, but I had similar results. I made it most of the way through and touched it up from the laptop.

With the primary tests out of the way, I simply used the iPad for a while. I browsed websites, downloaded apps, and spent as much time as I could on the device. I found a lot of Flash sites along the way, clearly limiting my choices.

While I certainly found the device useful, there were plenty of limitations. I was able to do quite a bit with the iPad over the last couple of weeks. I browsed the web, successfully managed my e-mail accounts, posted blog entries, and more. Based on my tests, I think the iPad is certainly a good entertainment device. You can get to the web quickly with the iPad, and it is convenient to pick it up and run a quick Google search without waiting for a laptop to boot. My netbook offers similar speeds though. It also comes with a built-in keyboard and webcam. As fun and convenient as the iPad is, my conclusion is that it cannot replace a laptop for my day-to-day activity. As I mentioned before, it wasn’t meant to.

Have you used the iPad extensively? Have you been able to replace your laptop? Let me know in the comments.